Posted on 12/13/2013 10:12:21 AM PST by mylife
I would be interested in your thoughts about how well this works, and how difficult it is to use.
Is this a cold fusion thread?
What does it do- time travel? IT SOUNDS LIKE IT SHOULD...
I can already watch free TV and video on my computer...why would I need this?
I know where my wife's is.
No, a sex toy thread
Because it make your TV a smart TV.
The box looks good if you like XBMC. However if you want to cut the cord, there is no tv turner card in that box. You can build a system for not too much more money if you keep the OS free. Such as MythTV.
You can then use a XBMC plugin and and have all the features of the g-box and more. If you want to eliminate your cable bill but still be able to watch your favorite team or shows on the big networks, I suggest a different setup. Personally, I use a windows7 setup with media center as a DVR and a roof antenna. I have xbmc and use it primarily for an addon called navi-x. You can scroll through thousands of tv shows and movies for free.
Nothing on TV can be described as 'smart'.
I plan on using an antenna and complimenting that with this box running XBMC.
You can connect an external hard drive to the Gbox to use as a DVR.
I think it’s a service which marries communists over the Internet.
>>I plan on using an antenna and complimenting that with this box running XBMC.<<
Unless I missed something, that box you asked about doesn’t have the ability to watch over the air signals. It would need some hardware inside like this below:
http://hauppauge.com/site/products/data_hvr2250.html
That is the card I have in my HTPC.
Yes you are correct.
I just meant a straight antenna to the TV.
>>I just meant a straight antenna to the TV.<<
Oh my gosh.....why in the world would you do that? I detest commercials. I routinely watch football games one hour after they start. I skip the commercials and halftime. In around two hours I’m about done with the game and I didn’t have to see one annoying Viagra or Budweiser commercial. I also watch a couple network shows and ditto for that. The system I have lets you hit a button on the remote and move 30 seconds forward, just like you might already have with a cable/dish. I also notice that a primetime show I watch, The Voice, routinely has 4 minutes of commercials between segments.
Plus DVR functionality is just nice. You watch TV when u want to. Not when a program is on.
Just for live local news and sports.
I’m just getting started on this stuff,so I am a neophyte.
>>I’m just getting started on this stuff,so I am a neophyte.<<
The problem with xbmc is that it doesn’t actually record tv shows itself. It’s very nice, it does many things, but doesn’t do that. Like I previously stated, I use win7 (median center works as a terrific DVR). However, you can save the $100+ if you go with linux and a MythTV install. It’s a customized version of linux. I found this wiki.
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Digital_Tuner_Cards
That shows all the tv tuner cards that work with it. Personally I use the tuner card for free tv alongside netflix and huluplus. That is pretty much the standard formula for ditching cable/dish. All you need is a custom built computer and $16 per month for netflix/hulu. There is a learning curve to figure out how to install and then work your new creation. So in that sense, your box is easier.
The thing is that for around twice the money, you could build yourself a similar machine that will also record tv shows automatically for you. You need to spend the time to actually build the machine and install the necessary software: The OS, TV tuner card software, xbmc and so on. Of course if the new system saves you $50 a month, that is time well spent imho.
And once you have the new system going you can do other fun stuff. Like put in a ton of photos and have a nice old fashioned slideshow to bore the pants outta all of your family and friends. :P
I mean to impress of course ;)
Have a nice day.
I forgot to mention another alternative. Since you talked about xbmc, I assume you are somewhat savy with tech. If not, you can might want to check out the $35 chromecast dongle. You can stream all sorts of stuff to your TV. Like netflix and hulu, youtube and what not. I think you just use your smart phone, pick something to watch and hit a button to send the feed to your tv. It’s not a bad deal for the price.
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